In no way I am a hardcore gothic metal fan, nor am I a die-hard follower of Sarah Jezebel Deva, so one might wonder why I am reviewing this digital only EP release by the former Cradle of Filth and Therion backup singer. Well, it was simply close to the top of my digital “to review” pile, and anticipating quality I gave it a chance.

For a short 3-tracker Malediction makes an effort to pull together a lot of names widely known in metal. In When ‘It” Catches Up with You Sarah goes after her vamp-and-diva persona alone, with apocalyptic piano/keys in the background, but the other two tracks feature Sarah-male singer duets. Lies Define Us has a touching gothic melody, where heavier guitar riffs do not get drowned by the keyboards. In this song Sarah braids her voice together with Bjorn “Speed” Strid’s of Soilwork. Singing with his clean vocals, Bjorn blends in well, almost too well sometimes, as both vocals hit the exact same register in spots. At the very minimum, she is very secure not to dominate Bjorn in the mix, and the more masculine/gentler duet balance works quite well.

The closer This Is My Curse, surprisingly, unites Sarah with Dani Filth of Cradle of Filth. While she soars higher on this song than anywhere else on the EP, Mr. Filth vacillates between harsh and tender sides of his beastiness, but the mix keeps his easy-to-recognize vocals underneath. While the song escalates into fever and drama towards the end, Dani manages to restrain himself, probably the condition of how he was brought onto Malediction.

If you don’t hate gothic genre, and follow Sarah Jezebel Deva regularly, getting this release should be on your list. If gothic generally turns you off, Malediction is not going to cure that perception.